Very early this year a new corona virus started it’s spread. Like SARS seventeen years ago this one started in China. Unlike SARS this one became a global pandemic.

In March things were getting scary here in Australia. So many things turned on a dime. People in NSW were told to work from home. From Sunday night to Monday morning the message changed, it was time to keep your children home from school. Online classrooms started that very morning.

The week before I had started driving G to and from school. I was so worried about her catching public transport, with this new virus rampant it seemed. I was also giving a classmate (and family friend) a lift. On the Monday morning I was going to keep G at home but my friend eventually returned my messages and wanted me to take her daughter to school. Against my own heart-wishes I packed up G, collected the friend and dropped them to their school (a two train commute across south west Sydney). As I parked around the corner from the drop-off point I turned on the radio to hear the Premier announce that children should be kept home if possible. I promptly burst into tears as I felt like I’d thrown my daughter to the wolves. Driving home I listened to the Teachers Federation President talk about what was going on, and how the teachers felt about the new challenges.

It was official. March 23 was the last day of face to face teaching for my daughter, and the first day of distance education for my son. Already all the ensembles at the schools had been cancelled, lunchtimes had been staggered and vulnerable members of the school community were told to stay home and stay safe.

I cried to myself at irregular intervals, daily, for weeks. So much heart-worry. So much international news of times that were so much worse than what we were experiencing in Australia. Seeing that and wondering if it truly would happen here made for such anxious times.

They’re not over. I do feel better though now that we have had 14 days of no local transmissions in NSW.

I could write about this all day.

It has been a long time since I posted here. Prepare yourselves for a flurry of activity now!